A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to a hat that is worn by a wearer, as well as a method of making the hat. More particularly, this invention pertains to a hat having one or more glowing (also called xe2x80x9cphotoluminescentxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cglow in the darkxe2x80x9d) portions that are sewn or otherwise attached to the hat for increasing the visibility of wearer, especially in low-light conditions. The hat as described herein may also be worn as a novelty item to increase the enjoyment of the wearer.
Hats have traditionally been worn for various purposes. Some hats are worn for protection from the sun or other elements, while others are worn purely for enjoyment. Still other people wear a hat while jogging or exercising. Whatever the reason, hats can be found being worn with great frequency in public.
Particularly in the case where one is jogging at night, the risk of not being seen by motorists and others exists. In such cases, the probability of an accident is increased. What is needed, then, is a hat that will increase the visibility of a wearer in low-lighting conditions. Additionally, what is needed is a hat that will raise the level of enjoyment of the wearer while wearing the hat.
The invention is a hat that increases the visibility of a wearer by incorporating one or more strips of photoluminescent material into the hat. Enhancement of the hat as described herein will also increase the enjoyment of the wearer as a novelty.
The hat of the invention is similar to most baseball caps in that it has a bowl that fits over the skull of the wearer and a bill that extends from the bowl. The novel and distinguishing feature of the hat of the invention is that one or more areas of the hat incorporate a photoluminescent material that has the capability of absorbing energy from a light source, then giving off that energy as a glowing light over a period of time. This giving-off of light is most striking and notable when the hat is worn in darkened conditions. The photoluminescent material could be attached to different portions of the hat, as desired, and more than one area could be so adorned.
The giving off of light in darkened conditions aids in visual acquisition of the wearer, which could increase the safety of the wearer by enabling automobile drivers and others to see and avoid the wearer. Also, wearing the hat of the invention would increase the enjoyment of the wearer as a novelty item in that such a hat would be a conversation piece.
The invention also is described herein as a method of enhancing the visual acquisition of a hatted person by attaching a rechargeable glowing material to a hat, charging the rechargeable glowing material by subjecting the hat to a light source, removing the hat from the light source, and wearing the hat away from the light source, so that the rechargeable glowing portion gives off light.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hat that increases the visibility of the wearer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a hat having photoluminescent material attached for increasing the wearing enjoyment of the wearer.
In addition to the foregoing, further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention should become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, wherein there are shown and described illustrated embodiments of the invention.